Cao Yuemei stood up from her bed. Her mother was dead, Cao Luomei was still alive. This isn't what she wanted at all! She had been promised a counterattack when she arrived at that contract space, so what was this?

The only difference this time was that her quiet brother, who had zero self confidence, was more outspoken and knew one or two medicine tricks. It seemed more like the counterattack was for him!

What did she gain?

Cao Xiwang woke up to find that Cao Yuemei was no longer on her bed. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and called out, "Big sis?"

"What!" Cao Yuemei snapped and then she sighed when Cao Xiwang flinched with wide eyes.

Cao Xiwang scratched his nose. His sister had never raised her voice at him before. It could be because she was sick and wasn't feeling too good, so he shrugged. "Uhm... How do you feel?"

Cao Yuemei massaged her forehead. "I'm okay. Return to your courtyard, I need to freshen up."

Cao Xiwang nodded slowly and then he perked up in excitement. "Don't forget you promised to spend the day with me!" Next he ran out before Cao Yuemei could reply.

Cao Yuemei called in the Wu sisters to fill the tub with water and prepare her for the day. Wu Bai kept fussing over her but Cao Yuemei just kept silent. She was still caught up in her thoughts.

Once she was done, she walked around the Cao mansion aimlessly. Everything seemed familiar and foreign to her at the same time. She was walking around the garden when she ran into Yu Ming and Cao Luomei. Her heart tightened.

"With the breaking up of our engagement, I don't think it's appropriate for us to be seen together." Cao Luomei said.

Yu Ming sneered. "What is that supposed to mean? Why did you break off the engagement for no reason?!"historical

Cao Luomei remained silent and when she spotted Cao Yuemei, she quickly walked away from Yu Ming. "Cao Yuemei, I heard from your servants that you weren't feeling well, how are you now?"

Cao Yuemei remained silent and just stared at Cao Luomei. Her heart was surging with hatred. Cao Luomei was not supposed to be alive. What did she do to deserve to live?

Cao Luomei saw that she wasn't going to get a reply so she just walked away with an uneasy feeling in her heart.

Yu Ming also noticed Cao Yuemei and walked over. "You're happy aren't you?"

Cao Yuemei arched a brow. "Why should I be happy?"

Yu Ming was taken aback for a moment. Cao Yuemei was always peculiar about her proprieties. What was up with her today? "What is wrong with you?"

Cao Yuemei shrugged. She was well aware that the crown prince had a hand in her death alongside the general and genius doctor. She had no good feeling towards any of them.

Yu Ming narrowed his eyes. "The broken off engagement was your doing wasn't it? You rejected my advances and then you turn around and convince Cao Luomei to call off the engagement with me."

Cao Yuemei chuckled. "I didn't convince Cao Luomei to do anything. We're not that close and we never will be. She did something unforgivable to me so we are more like enemies on a narrow road."

Yu Ming arched a brow and then chuckled. "I can see that you're not being prim and proper around me. Is that perhaps meant to send a message?"

Cao Yuemei rolled her eyes and walked away with a scowl whilst Yu Ming smiled with mirth and licked his lips.

Cao Xiwang had gone over to find Cao Yuemei later but she'd dismissed him with the excuse that she was tired and he had obediently walked away after telling her to rest well.

Cao Yuemei spent the rest of the day thinking up a good revenge plan against Cao Luomei but she couldn't come up with anything and went to sleep dissatisfied.

The next day, Cao Yuemei was called over to the guest hall as she had visitors. She walked into the hall to find Shang Wu and Jiang He glaring daggers at each other.

Cao Long and Cao Feng had gone over to the imperial palace earlier so just the Cao family guards, some attendants and Cao Luomei were present.

Shang Wu and Jiang He straightened the moment she walked in and called out, "Second miss Cao..."

Cao Yuemei raised a brow. "Any problem?"

Jiang He spoke up first. "Nothing really. I just decided to bring some gifts over to properly thank you for all your help. And-" He stared at Cao Yuemei intently. "Since you're unmarried I also want to state my interest in formally courting you."

Shang Wu scoffed. "Jiang He, you're a mere wandering doctor, what can you offer miss Cao? Do you expect her to marry you and join you in aimlessly hopping from one place to another?

-Miss Cao is of noble heritage and deserves someone who could win her high ranked titles and the admiration of the people." He looked over to Cao Yuemei with a smile whilst Jiang He glared angrily at him.

"Miss Cao, I already told you of my original plans, you only have to say the word and the Shang family would begin preparing betrothal gifts and planning out a grand wedding for their new mistress."

Cao Yuemei stared at the two men struggling to outdo themselves and her lips arched in mockery. How ironic. These were the men that had helped Cao Luomei in pushing her to her doom.

Now they were here, fighting for her favour. She wondered how Cao Luomei felt about this so she looked over to Cao Luomei only to find the lady staring at them with a complicated gaze.

Cao Yuemei grit her teeth and turned back to the men. "I don't need your gifts or your interest. You may leave." And then she stormed out of the guest hall.

For the next few weeks, the two men kept sending loads of gifts to the Cao household and soon, Yu Ming joined them in sending gifts but Cao Yuemei ignored them all.

She was more concerned and angered by the fact that Cao Luomei was still living and receiving Cao Long's unconditional love. He was her father too! Why is it that he only had Cao Luomei in his eyes?!

Cao Xiwang had also been trying his best to spend time with her but she also ignored him and when his pestering got too much, she had the guards stop him from entering her courtyard altogether. She liked the silent second son much better!

On the third week of her return, she suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. There were noises outside her window. She immediately stood up and walked over to the door.

Before she could open it, her window was blasted open, even the protector came off and a black clad figure smoothly entered her room. There seemed to be an almost similar memory in her head.

Yu Ming.

His entrance was noisy and yet no one came in, her guards and servants were most probably knocked out. Cao Yuemei folded her arms across her chest. "What does the crown prince want?"

Yu Ming straightened and walked closer to Cao Yuemei. "You rejected my advances but now I hear that you've been accepting gifts from two other men."

Cao Yuemei rolled her eyes. "I did not accept their gifts and you've also been sending gifts too."

Yu Ming came to a stop before Cao Yuemei. He towered over her small frame and this made him delighted. He chuckled and brought his lips close to her ear. When she didn't step back, he smirked and whispered slowly, "Does that mean you've been accepting my own gifts?"

Cao Yuemei placed a hand on his chest to push him back. "I did not accept your gifts either." She still detested the three men and the only reason she did not return those gifts was because she wanted Cao Luomei to see that she was nothing special and that she, Cao Yuemei, could also get the attention of powerful men.

Yu Ming's smirk turned seductive and he brought his face closer to hers. "Really?~"

"Crown prince, don't you think it's inappropriate to barge into an unmarried lady's room in the middle of the night?" A voice came from behind Yu Ming and they both directed their attention towards the owner of the voice.

Shang Wu.

Yu Ming glared at Shang Wu and looked out the window. His subordinates were out there and yet the general managed to slip in. How could they be so useless? "If you did not have the same idea, why are you here?"

Shang Wu grit his teeth. He had placed some of his subordinates to watch over Cao Yuemei because he didn't trust that bastard Jiang He or this shameless crown prince.

Looks like it was a good decision. He was in the middle of cultivating when his subordinate and sent him news that the crown prince had sneaked into the Cao mansion!

He glared at the crown prince. "I had no such plan. As the future emperor do you not think your behaviour is absolutely detestable?"

Yu Ming's jaw ticked. "Who are you to lecture me?"

The two men were about to face off with each other when a different voice drew the attention of everyone in the room.

"What are the two of you doing here?"

Jiang He.

The genius doctor was dressed in white robes and held a bamboo tube in his hands. He had noticed that the general and crown prince had placed people around Cao Yuemei so he had been alarmed and called in a favour that the leader of a mercenary group owed him.

The mercenary leader had sent people to keep an eye on Cao Yuemei and pay close attention to the actions of the general and crown prince.

He was in the middle of refining medicine when he received news of people sneaking into the Cao mansion.

He quickly rushed over and with the aid of the mercenary group and some knockout powder, he was able to get in too. He eyed the general and crown prince. What were these men planning on doing?

Cao Luomei watched as the three men faced off each other and a plan suddenly formed in her head. She smirked.

"You all want my attention right?" She said and the men held off their hateful stares at each other and turned to face her. "Well I detest someone, a lot and want to teach her a lesson. What are you going to do about it?"

The three men exchanged looks and they all saw the eagerness to outdo each other in each other's eyes. They didn't even bother to fully understand the situation.

Cao Yuemei was a prim and proper lady who minded her own business. For someone to irk her this much, that person must have committed a grave sin against her.

"Well, what is the plan?" Shang Wu spoke.